Urban Partners Los Angeles
The info below comes directly from the URBAN PARTNERS LOS ANGELES website:
ABOUT URBAN PARTNERS LOS ANGELES
At Urban Partners Los Angeles, the emphasis is on the meaning of being a neighbor. We value community. Our programs depend entirely on donations from people who believe in empowering and enriching the lives of underprivileged communities.
We teach English to adults, help kids improve math skills, and distribute groceries to those in need– we’ve given out more than 270,000 bags of food since 1993! We also offer exercise and nutrition classes, we organize field trips for children in our neighborhoods, and we bring together members of the community and civic leaders so that we continue to grow our connection to our neighbors and help them get the services they need.
Groceries for Our Neighbors - food bank for low-income families
Every Saturday morning, we distribute food to our neighbors. Thanks to contributions from Hopenet and individual donors, we’re able to prepare bags of groceries and hand them out to hundreds of people each week.
Without Limits - a tutoring program for inner-city children
We tutor math for elementary school students! And it’s free! If your child needs help with math, or would just like some extra practice with qualified, excited tutors, join in the fun!
For 10 years, Urban Partners LA has hosted Without Limits, a tutoring program for inner city-families at the First Unitarian Church in the heart of Koreatown, an area where many families have significant barriers to quality education. Local schools are underfunded and overpopulated; home support is limited while parents work 2-3 jobs and struggle to understand their children’s school work because they are not native English speakers. Many children are the first in their families to receive a formal education.
But at Urban Partners, we are barrier busters. Our program provides free tutoring services in math and reading to elementary schoolers, as well as a free light breakfast for children. We have also begun to offer ESL and yoga classes for parents while their children are in tutoring. More importantly, we offer the awareness, access and encouragement necessary for families to support their children’s educational growth beyond the program and put them on the path towards higher education.
LA Baby Cooperative - a diaper distribution program
This cooperative came together when moms in the community struggled to access diapers and infant supplies during COVID-19. We work together to procure and distribute bundles of diapers and wipes every Saturday morning in the Francis Avenue community garden. Please help sustain this program.
Women's Empowerment and Leadership
Urban Partners is located in an area which is notable for its lack of educational opportunities for Spanish-speaking monolingual women. For many years, our volunteer organizers have been working to support women by intermittently providing classes which help community women learn to cope with the challenges they face.
For the women for whom these classes are designed, life can be a struggle as they attempt to work around the language barriers, secure healthcare as needed, and support their children’s educational journey. These classes are designed to ease the challenges that women of the neighborhood face on a daily basis.
Field Trips
Periodically, Urban Partners offer field trips in partnership with the Sierra Club to destinations around the Los Angeles area, like Bolsa Chica Wetlands, the Museum of Natural History, and Malibu Canyon State Park. Neighborhood children have an opportunity not only to explore an area beyond their neighborhood but also to learn from Sierra Club guides about wildlife. And they have fun, too!
THE MISSION
At Urban Partners Los Angeles, the emphasis is on the meaning of being a neighbor. As our mission statement indicates, we want to educate, empower, and enrich our neighbors.
Urban Partners Los Angeles is a 501(c)(3) devoted to improving the lives of people who live in the Koreatown / Westlake sections of the city of Los Angeles. Our free programs are aimed at neighborhood needs: education, food assistance, exercise, and community-building. Our goal is to help our neighbors take their place as agents of their own destiny in the civic life of Los Angeles.
